ft 


s ■ < > 


REQUESTING  THE  PRESIDENT  TO  URGE  UPON  THE 
GOVERNMENTS  OP  CERTAIN  NATIONS  THE  IMME- 
DIATE NECESSITY  OF  LIMITING  THE  PRODUC- 
TION OF  HABIT-FORMING  NARCOTIC  DRUGS 
AND  THE  RAW  MATERIALS  PROM  WHICH 
THEY  ARB  MADE  TO  THE  AMOUNT  AC- 
TUALLY REQUIRED  FOR  STRICTLY 
MEDICINAL  AND  SCIENTIFIC 
PURPOSES. 


KEMARKS 

01' 

HON.  STEPHEN  G.  ^RTER 

OF  PENNSYLVANIA 
Chairman,  Committee  on  Foroign  Affairs 


IN  THE 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES 


WASHINGTON 

GOVEPvNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1923 


37307—23617 


E E M A E K S 

OF 

HON.  STEPHEN  G.  POETEE. 


Mr.  PORTER.  Mr.  Speaker,  I move  to  suspend  the  rules  and 
pass  House  Joint  Resolution  No.  453,  entitled  “ Joint  resolution 
requesting  the  President  to  urge  upon  the  governments  of  cer- 
tain nations  the  immediate  necessity  of  limiting  the  production 
of  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs  and  the  raw  materials  from 
which  they  are  made  to  the  amount  actually  required  for 
strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes.  I also  move  the 
adoption  of  the  preamble. 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore.  The  gentleman  from  Pennsyl- 
vania moves  to  suspend  the  rules  and  pass  the  joint  resolution, 
which  the  Clerk  will  report 
The  Clerk  read  as  follows: 

Joint  resolution  (H.  J.  Kes.  453)  requesting  the  President  to  urge  upon 
the  governments  of  certain  nations  the  immediate  necessity  of  limit- 
ing the  production  of  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs  and  the  raw  mate- 
rials from  which  they  are  made  to  the  amount  actually  required  for 
strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes. 

Whereas  the  unlawful  use  in  the  United  States  of  America  of  opium 
(the  coagulated  juice  of  Papaver  somniferum)  and  its  derivatives 
(morphia,  codeine,  heroin),  and  cocaine  (obtained  from  coca  leaves — 
Erythroxylum  coca)  and  other  preparations  made  from  these  plants  or 
their  by-products,  with  attendant  irreparable  injury  to  health  and 
morality  and  resultant  death  from  continued  use,  is  increasing  and 
spreading  ; and 

Whereas  the  special  committee  of  investigation  of  traflic  in  narcotic 
drugs  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  in  its  report  dated 
April  15,  1919,  having  considered  the  secrecy  connected  with  the  unlaw- 
ful sale  and  use  of  these  drugs,  and  the  other  difficulties  In  obtaining 
information  which  would  give  the  exact  number  of  addicts  in  the  United 
States,  says  ; “ The  committee  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  total  number 
of  addicts  in  this  country  probably  exceeds  1,000,000  at  the  present 
time,”  and  further  says  that  “ the  range  of  ages  of  addicts  was  reported 
as  12  to  75  years.  The  large  majority  of  addicts  of  all  ages  was  re- 
ported as  using  morphine  or  opium  or  its  preparations.  » « * 

Most  of  the  heroin  addicts  are  comparatively  young,  a portion  of  them 
being  boys  and  girls  under  the  age  of  20.  This  is  also  true  of  cocaine 
addicts,”  and  as  this  report  is  in  harmony  with  the  opinion  of  many 
who  have  carefully  investigated  the  subject ; and 

Whereas  the  annual  production  of  opium  is  approximately  1,500  tons, 
of  which  approximately  100  tons,  according  to  the  best  available  in- 
formation, is  sufficient  for  the  world’s  medicinal  and  scientific  needs, 
37307—23617  . 3 


4 


and  the  growth  of  coca  leaves  is  likewise  greatly  in  excess  of  what  is 
required  for  the  same  needs,  and  thus  vast  quantities  of  each  are  avail- 
able for  the  manufacture  of  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs  for  illicit 
sale  and  consumption  ; and 

Whereas  opium  is  obtained  in  paying  quantities  from  poppies  culti- 
vated in  small  areas  of  India,  Persia,  and  Turkey,  where  the  soil  and 
climate  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  production  of  poppies  containing 
opium  rich  in  morphia,  codeine,  and  otlaer  narcotic  derivatives  ; and 
Whereas  in  Persia  and  Turkey  the  growth  of  the  poppy  and'  the  pro- 
duction of  opium  therefrom,  resulting  in  large  revenues  to  those  re- 
spective Governments,  is  controllable  by  virtue  of  their  sovereign  power 
to  limit  the  exportation  thereof  and  to  restrict  production  to  the  quan- 
tity actually  required  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes ; 
and 

■Whereas  the  British  Government  in  India,  which  derives  large  reve- 
nues from  the  growth  of  the  poppy  and  the  production  of  opium  there- 
from, has  full  power  to  limit  production  to  the  amount  actually  re- 
quired for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes  ; and 

Whereas  the  production  of  coca  leaves  (Erythroxylum  coca)  is  lim- 
ited to  certain  areas  of  Peru  and  Bolivia  and  the  Netherlands  posses- 
sion of  Java,  and  their  production  is  controllable  by  virtue  of  the  sov- 
ereign power  of  those  Governments  to  limit  the  exportation  thereof  and 
to  restrict  production  to  the  quantities  actually  required  for  strictly 
medicinal  and  scientific  purposes ; and 

Whereas  the  antinarcotic  laws  of  a majority  of  the  larger  nations  of 
the  world  provide  severe  penalties  for  dispensing  habit-forming  narcotic 
drugs  without  a record  of  the  amount  thereof  dispensed,  thus  providing 
reliabie  data  from  which  a reasonably  accurate  calculation  can  be  made 
of  the  amount  of  these  drugs  needed  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific 
purposes  ; and 

Whereas  on  January  23,  1912,  as  the  result  of  the  meeting  of  the 
International  Opinm  Commission  at  Shanghai,  China,  in  1909,  and  the 
conference  at  The  Hague  in  1912,  a treaty  was  made  between  the 
United  States  of  America  and  other  powers  which  was  intended  to  sup- 
press the  illicit  trafiic  in  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs,  and  notwith- 
standing that  upward  of  seven  years  have  passed  since  its  ratification, 
the  treaty  and  the  laws  in  pursuance  thereof  subsequently  adopted  by 
the  contracting  powers  have  utterly  failed  to  suppress  such  illicit  trafiic, 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  treaty  attempted  to  regulate  the  trans- 
portation and  sale  of  these  drugs  without  adequate  restriction  upon 
production,  the  source  or  root  of  the  evil ; and 

Whereas  failure  of  such  treaty  and  the  laws  adopted  in  pursuance 
thereof  to  provide  adequate  restrictions  upon  production  has  resulted 
in  extensive  and  flagrant  violations  of  the  laws  by  reason  of  the  fact 
that  the  great  commercial  value  of  these  drugs,  the  large  financial  gains 
derived  from  handling  them,  and  the  smallness  of  their  bulk,  which 
renders  detection  in  transportation  and  sale  exceedingly  difficult,  have 
induced  and  encouraged  the  unscrupulous  to  divert  enormous  quantities 
into  the  channels  of  illicit  international  traffic,  thereby  rendering  par- 
tially, if  not  wholly,  ineffective  the  treaty  and  the  laws  adopted  in  pur- 
suance thereof  ; and 

Whereas  in  June,  1921,  the  opium  advisory  committee  of  the  council 
of  the  League  of  Nations  adopted  a resolution  urging  the  restriction  of 
the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  and  the  production  of  opium  therefrom  to 
“ strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  ” purposes,  which  resolution  was  ap- 
proved by  the  council  of  the  league,  but  when  said  resolution  was  pre- 
37307—23617 


5 


sented  for  final  approval  to  the  assembly  of  the  league,  which  is  com- 
posed of  a representative  from  each  nation  which  is  a member  thereof, 
it  was  amended  by  striking  out  the  words  “ strictly  medicinal  and 
scientific  ” and  substituting  the  word  “ legitimate  ” in  lieu  thereof  ; and 

Whereas  the  substitution  of  the  general  word  “ legitimate  ” for  the 
specific  words  “ medicinal  and  scientific  ” permits  the  continuance  of 
the  sale  of  enormous  quantities  of  opium  and  its  derivatives  in  many 
sections  of  the  Orient  by  the  opium  producers  of  India,  Turkey,  and 
Persia,  where  it  is  “ legitimate  ” to  sell  and  transport  these  drugs 
in  unrestricted  quantities,  regardless  of  their  ultimate  use  by  the 
purchaser  ; and 

Whereas  the  continuance  of  the  sale  and  transportation  of  such 
drugs,  without  restriction  on  their  use,  results  in  the  diversion  of 
large  quantities  thereof  into  the  channels  of  illegal  international 
traffic  and  in  the  unlawful  importation  into  the  United  States,  and 
the  sale  here  for  unlawful  purposes,  of  preparations  made  therefrom 
such  as  morphia,  heroin,  and  cocaine ; and 

Whereas  the  United  States  of  America,  in  dealing  with  the  traffic 
in  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs  within  its  own  territory  and  posses- 
sions, notably  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  in  cooperating  sympa- 
thetically with  the  efforts  of  the  Government  of  China  in  dealing 
with  its  opium  problem,  has  always  been  committed,  without  regard 
to  revenue,  to  a program  for  the  complete  suppression  and  prohibi- 
tion of  the  production  of  and  traffic  in  them,  except  for  strictly  medici- 
nal and  scientific  purposes  : Therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  etc.,  That  it  is  the  imperative  duty  of  the  United  States 
Government  to  safeguard  its  people  from  the  persistent  ravages  of 
habit-forming  narcotic  drugs. 

Sec.  2.  That  the  effective  control  of  these  drugs  can  be  obtained 
only  by  limiting  the  production  thereof  to  the  quantity  required  for 
strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes,  thus  eradicating  the  source 
or  root  of  the  present  conditions,  which  are  solely  due  to  production 
many  times  greater  than  is  necessary  for  such  purposes. 

Sec.  3.  That  in  the  hope  of  accomplishing  this  end  the  President 
be,  and  he  hereby  is,  requested  to  urge  upon  the  Governments  of 
Great  Britain,  Persia,  and  Turkey  the  Immediate  necessity  of  limiting 
the  growth  of  the  poppy  (Papaver  somniferum)  and  the  production 
of  opium  and  its  derivatives  exclusively  to  the  amount  actually  re- 
quired for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes. 

Sec.  4.  That  the  President  be,  and  he  hereby  is,  requested  to  urge 
upon  the  Governments  of  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  the  Netherlands  the 
immediate  necessity  of  limiting  the  production  of  coca  leaves  (Ery- 
throxylum  coca)  and  their  derivatives  to  the  quantity  exclusively 
required  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes. 

Sec.  5.  That  the  President  be,  and  he  hereby  is,  requested  to 
report  to  Congress  on  the  first  Monday  in  December,  1923,  the  result 
of  his  action. 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore.  Is  a second  demanded? 

Mr.  GARRETT  of  Tennessee.  I do  not  care  to  demand  a 
second,  but  I would  like  to  ask  the  gentleman  from  Pennsyl- 
vania one  or  two  questions. 

Mr.  LONDON.  Mr.  Speaker,  I demand  a second.  I propose 
to  move  to  strike  out  the  preamble. 

37307— 2361T 


6 


]\Ir.  PORTER.  Mi*.  Speaker,  I ask  unanimous  consent  that 
a second  be  considered  as  ordered. 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore.  Is  there  objection? 

There  was  no  objection. 

Mr.  GARRETT  of  Tennessee.  I want  to  ask  the  gentleman 
from  Peansjdvania  one  or  two  questions.  I understand  this 
matter  has  been  under  consideration  in  the  Committee  on  For- 
eign Affairs  for  several  weeks. 

Mr.  PORTER.  It  has. 

Mr.  GARRETT  . of  Tennessee.  Hearings  have  been  had 
upon  it? 

Jlr.  PORTER.  Ver5'  extensive  hearings. 

Mr.  GARRETT  of  Tennessee.  And  this  was  reported  unani- 
mously from  tlie  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs? 

Mr.  PORTER.  Yes. 

• »**••* 

CoiiMiTTEE  OX  Foreign  Affairs, 

House  op  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  February  12,  1923. 

Mi  Dear  Mr.  Secretary  : I am  inclosing  herewith  a copy  of  H.  J. 
Res.  430,  which  I introduced  in  the  House  of  Representatives  on 
January  31,  1923,  relating  to  the  illicit  International  traffic  in  habit- 
forming narcotic  drugs. 

By  reason  of  their  smallness  of  bulk  and  the  secrecy  connected  with 
the  improper  use  of  these  destructive  drugs,  and  the  large  financial 
gains  derived  from  their  illicit  handling,  it  is  impossible  to  prevent 
them  from  reaching  the  consumer  ; therefore,  the  resolution  is  founded 
on  the  principle  that  a permanent  and  effective  remedy  can  be  ob- 
tained only  by  the  limitation  of  the  production  of  the  raw  materials 
to  the  amount  actually  needed  for  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes. 

Inasmuch  as  international  conferences  usually  result  in  compromises, 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  a unanimous  vote  is  necessary  to  make 
the  agreements  resulting  from  such  conferences  binding  on  the 
nations  pai'ticipating  therein,  the  resolution  provides  for  a direct 
appeal  to  the  offending  nations  on  humanitarian  grounds,  as  the 
misuse  of  these  drugs  has  created  an  international  affliction  of  such 
groat  magnitude  that  an  effective  remedy  can  not  be  secured  by  com- 
promise. The  failure  of  the  Shanghai  opium  commission  and  The 
Hague  conference  to  check  this  evil  fully  justifies  this  conclusion. 

The  statesmen  of  Europe  probably  never  fully  realized  the  limitations 
upon  the  power  of  the  President  in  the  matter  of  the  making  of  treaties 
until  President  Wilson  failed  to  secure  the  ratification  of  the  treaty 
of  Versailles ; therefore,  the  passage  of  tliis  resolution  by  Congress 
before  negotiations  are  initiated,  will  strongly  impress  upon  the  Gov- 
ernments involved  that  the  representations  of  the  President  reflect 
the  views  of  both  the  executive  and  legislative  branches  of  our  Gov- 
ernment. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Congress  will  adjourn  on  March  4, 
I am  hopeful,  by  limiting  the  hearings  to  a few  days,  of  obtaining 
passage  of  the  resolution  before  that  date,  and  your  views  on  the 
37307— 23G17 


7 


resolution  at  your  earliest  convenience  for  presentation  to  the  com- 
mittee would  be  very  much  appreciated. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Stephen  G.  Porter,  Chairman, 

The  Secretary  or  State, 

Washington. 


Department  op  State, 
Washington,  February  IS,  19Z3. 

Hon.  Stephen  G.  Porter, 

Bouse  of  Representatives. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Porter  : I have  read  your  letter  of  to-day’s  date  and 
its  accompanying  resolution  with  much  interest.  The  object  which  you 
have  in  view — that  is,  the  restriction  of  the  commercial  cultivation  of 
the  opium  poppy  and  the  coca-leaf  plant  to  quantities  exclusively 
required  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes— is  one  with 
which  I am  in  entire  accord. 

I can  assure  you  of  my  deep  interest  In  the  work  of  narcotics  control 
and  of  my  willingness  to  forward  in  any  way  that  I can  the  expressed 
views  of  the  Congress  on  this  important  subject.  I believe  that  the 
prompt  passage  of  the  proposed  resolution,  with  the  minor  amendment 
suggested,  will  be  an  important  aid  in  securing  the  desired  result.  If 
the  commercial  production  of  the  raw  plants  from  ■which  opium  prod- 
ucts and  cocaine  are  obtained  can  be  minimized,  the  question  of  nar- 
cotics control  -will  be  greatly  simplified.  I shall  be  glad  to  place  before 
your  committee  such  information  in  regard  to  the  narcotics-control 
question  as  is  at  my  disposal. 

I am,  my  dear  Mr.  Porter,  sincerely  yours, 

Charles  E.  Hughes. 

Mr.  PORTER.  Mr.  Speaker,  in  addition  to  tlie  indorsement 
by  the  Secretary  of  State,  the  passage  of  this  resolution  is 
strongly  urged  by  the  Mystic  Order  Veiled  Prophets  of  the  En- 
chanted Realm  (the  Grotto),  who,  speaking  through  their 
Grand  Monarch,  state: 

* • • I believe  that  it  is  therefore  essential  that  we  strike  at  the 

root  of  the  evil  and  regulate  the  traffic  in  narcotic  drugs  at  the  source 
of  production. 

• • • The  resolutions  express  the  sentiments  of  nearly  a half 

million  Masons,  with  their  families ; * * * and  in  a telegram  to 
your  committee  “ the  Grotto  is  expecting  you  to  win  and  backs  you  to 
a man,  and  will  do  our  part  when  called." 

The  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  through  Hon.  James  F.  Davis, 
director  general,  says: 

I want  to  present  some  1,600  resolutions  passed  by  the  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose  in  support  of  House  Resolution  430.  • • • The  organiza- 

tion is  now  appropriating  funds  for  the  purpose  of  putting  on  a speak- 
ing campaign  throughout  the  country,  enlisting  the  services  of  men 
high  in  public  life  to  present  this  subject  to  our  600,000  members. 
The  Women’s  Moossheart  Legion,  -with  a membership  of  75,000,  also 
indorses  this  resolution. 

37307—23617 


8 


James  S.  McCandless,  Imperial  Potentate  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  Nobles  of  tbe  Mystic  Shrine,  writes,  in  part,  as  follows ; 

Personally  you  have  my  full  sympathy  in  this  matter,  and  I hope 
that  this  legislation  will  carry.  This  is  getting  to  be  a very  serious 
menace  to  our  young  men  and  women. 

Tlie  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  through  Ex- 
alted Ruler  William  J.  Sinek,  of  Chicago,  111.,  says,  in  part: 

“ In  the  charity  work  of  the  Elks  organization  we  have  had  a very 
good  opportunity  to  observe  the  ravages  of  habit-forming  drugs  in  all 
its  horrors  because  we  come  directly  in  contact  with  the  victims  of  it 
♦ * *.  So  long  as  narcotic  drugs  are  produced  in  abundance  and  as 

long  as  they  are  a commodity  of  international  commerce  they  will  be 
brought  into  the  United  States  and  remain  a menace  to  society,  decency, 
and  civilization.  * • •.  I am  absolutely  in  accord  with  the  reso- 

lution and  most  heartily  indorse  it  as  being  the  right  thing.” 

The  old  age  pension  committee  of  Pennsylvania,  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles,  says: 

“ It  behooves  our  country  In  view  of  our  failure  to  prevent  in  the 
past  the  spreading  of  this  terribly  demoralizing  habit  which  is  under- 
mining the  health,  debasing  the  morals,  and  destroying  the  lives  of  its 
many  victims,  to  act  without  unnecessary  delay.” 

The  American  National  Red  Cross  says : 

Dear  Mr.  Porter  : While  the  general  policy  of  the  American  Red 
Cross  is  not  to  indorse  any  legislation  not  introduced  by  itself,  and 
though  it  takes  part  in  no  political  or  controversial  questions,  it  is  in 
full  sympathy  with  the  purpose  of  House  Joint  Resolution  430,  relating 
to  the  illicit  international  traffic  in  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs. 

Any  legislation  that  will  tend  to  lessen  the  unfortunate  condition 
that  exists  to-day  regarding  the  misuse  of  narcotic  drugs  can  not  fail 
to  receive  the  approval  of  the  American  Red  Cross,  wliich  is  deeply 
interested  in  all  human  welfare. 

May  I add  to  this  Red  Cross  approval  my  personal  sympathy  in  the 
legislation  proposed  by  the  resolution. 

Yours  sincerely,  Maeei.  T.  Co.tRD.uAN,  Secretary. 

The  American  Insurance  Union,  representing  110,000  mem- 
bers, through  its  president,  says : 

Our  national  board  unanimously  indorses  this  resolution.  « • * 

It  is  as  much  a disease  to  be  stamped  out  as  cholera  or  yellow  fever 
or  the  bubonic  plague. 

The  'White  Cross,  an  organization  created  for  the  purpose  of 
suppressing  the  traffic  on  the  Pacific  coast,  telegraphed  your 
chairman,  in  part,  as  follows : 

Your  resolution  dispensing  for  present  with  convention  and  short- 
circuiting  the  appeal  to  offending  nations  a worthy  example  of  Amer- 
ican diplomatic  directness.  » * • Resolutions  supported  by  White 

Cross  with  all  our  force. 

Rev.  Edward  C.  Lobenstine,  executive  officer  of  the  European 
and  American  missionary  bodies  in  China,  says : 

The  opium  traffic  has  been  one  of  the  serious  hindrances  to  the  work 
of  the  Christian  church  in  China,  inasmuch  as  one  of  the  main  argu- 
37307— 23G17 


9 


ments  which  we  have  for  the  spread  of  Christianity  is  our  high  ethical 
standards,  and  the  feeling  that  it  wili  improve,  the  moral  condition  of 
the  people,  and  yet  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  in  China  the  white  race  is 
morally  responsible,  directly  responsible,  for  the  introduction  and  the 
spread  of  the  opium  habit  in  China.  * # * of  course,  I take  it 

there  is  no  use  of  speaking  of  the  demoralizing  influence  of  those  using 
opium. 

The  duly  authorized  representatives  of  the  Salvation  Army, 
the  State  Council  of  Pennsylvania  Order  of  Independent  Amer- 
icans, post  organizations  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  Central  Trades  and  Labor  Council  of 
New  York  also  strongly  indorse  the  resolution. 

The  grand  monarch  of  the  M.  O.  V.  P.  E.  R. — the  Grotto — in 
a communication  to  the  President,  said : 

“ I feci  that  it  is  time,  Mr.  President,  for  the  various  fraternal  or- 
ganizations of  our  country  to  turn  aside  from  their  beaten  paths  of 
ritualistic  ceremonies  and  give  a little  time  and  constructive  thought 
to  the  ever  growing  needs  of  this  and  other  nations  of  the  world.” 

Many  of  the  organizations  mentioned  evidently  have  adopted 
a similar  policy,  for  it  is  indeed  rare  when  they  indorse  pend- 
ing legislation. 

If  time  iiermitted,  many  other  indorsements  from  fraternal, 
church,  and  individual  sources  from  all  sections  of  the  country 
could  be  enumerated,  which  plainly  shows  that  the  people  of  the 
United  States  are  thoroughly  aroused  over  the  necessity  of 
stamping  out  the  addition  to  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs. 

The  resolution  before  the  House  (H.  J.  Res.  453)  requests  the 
President  to  urge  upon  the  Governments  of  Great  Britain,  Per- 
sia, and  Turkey  the  immediate  necessity  of  limiting  the  growth 
of  the  poppy — Papaver  somniferum — and  the  production  of 
opium  and  its  derivatives  exclusively  to  the  amount  actually 
required  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes,  and  also 
to  urge  upon  the  Republics  of  Peru  and  Bolivia  and  the  Nether- 
lands the  immediate  necessity  of  limiting  the  growth  and  pro- 
duction of  coca  leaves — Erythroxyluin  coca — and  its  derivatives 
to  the  quantity  exclusively  required  for  the  same  purposes. 

Morphia,  codeine,  and  heroin  are  obtained  from  opium,  which 
is  the  coagulated  juice  of  the  opium-producing  poppy.  It  is 
procured  in  paying  quantities  from  the  poppy  cultivated  in 
India,  Persia,  Turkey,  and  China.  The  growth  of  the  plant 
depends  upon  peculiarly  favorable  soil,  which  is  especially 
found  in  small  areas,  of  India,  Persia,  Turkey,  and  China,  and 
a very  wet  and  hot  climate  until  the  capsule  is  formed ; after- 
wards a very  hot  and  dry  climate  during  the  fiowering  season. 
With  the  exception  of  the  opium  produced  in-  China,  all  the 
opium  produced  in  the  world  results  from  the  cultivation  of 
37307—23617 2 


10 


between  five  and  six  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land  in  India, 
Persia,  and  Turkey.  TJiis  confines  the  growing  area  to  small 
acreage  wfiicli  makes  control  of  production,  unlike  that  of 
wheat  or  corn,  practicable  and  comparatively  easy  of  accom- 
plishment; in  fact,  the  quantity  produced  in  India  has  been  for 
many  years  entirely  controlled  by  the  officials  of  the  British  In- 
dia Government  who  administer  the  affairs  of  that  possession. 

About  two-fifths  of  the  opium  produced  in  India,  Persia,  and 
Turkey  is  retained  for  home  consumption  and  the  balance  is 
exported  to  other  countries  where  the  morphia,  codeine,  and 
heroin  are  extracted  by  pharmaceutical  chemists. 

No  effort  had  ever  been  made  to  extract  these  derivatives 
by  pharmaceutical  chemists  in  the  Orient  until  about  two  years 
ago,  when  a laboratory  for  this  purpose  was  established  in 
Calcutta  and  one  in  the  Japanese  possession  of  Formosa. 

Cocaine  is  obtained  from  coca  leaves,  which  are  indigenous 
to  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  the  Netherlands  possession  of  Java,  and 
the  leaves  likewi-je  are  exported  to  other  countries,  where  the 
cocaine  is  extracted.  Recently,  however,  a laboratory  was  con- 
structed in  Peru  for  the  extraction  of  crude  cocaine,  which  is 
shipped  to  Europe  for  further  refining. 

Morphia  and  cocaine  are  indispensable  in  the  treatment  of 
certain  diseases ; the  former  for  a century  or  more  has  been 
used  almost  exclusively  for  the  alleviation  of  pain,  both  acute 
and  chronic.  They  are  universally  used  by  the  medical  profes- 
sion. It  has  often  been  said  that  without  morphia  the  practice 
of  medicine  would  be  an  unhappy  calling,  indeed.  If  the  object 
of  this  resolution  were  achieved,  their  use  would  be  restricted 
exclusively  to  these  humane  purposes,  and  continue  to  be  the 
two  greatest  boons  known  to  medical  science. 

The  production  of  opium  in  India,  Persia,  and  Turkey  is  ap- 
proximately not  less  than  1,500  tons,  of  which  but  a compara- 
tively small  amount  is  required  by  the  peoples  of  the  world  for 
strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes.  This  quantity  of  1,500 
tons  is  exclusive  of  from  TOO  to  900  tons  which  is  retained  by 
these  producing  countries  to  meet  the  domestic  demands  of 
native  addicts  and  for  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes.  These 
native  addicts  consume  the  product  by  smoking  and  eating  it 
In  1919,  according  to  the  report  of  the  British  India  Govern- 
ment, 741  tons  of  provision  opium  was  exported  from  India,  and 
during  the  same  year  through  the  licensing  of  opium  shops  in 
India,  the  natives  of  that  country  consumed  531  tons  of  excise 
opium. 

Statistical  records  and  the  evidence  of  the  witnesses  appear- 
ing before  smur  committee  place  the  world’s  consumption  of 
37307— 23G1? 


11 


opium  for  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes  to  from  5 to  125 
tons  per  j’ear.  The  varying  opinions  of  these  witnesses  prevent 
an  accurate  estimate  of  the  amount  actually  required  for  these 
specific  purposes,  but  assuming  that  the  maximum  amount  of 
125  tons  is  required  to  fulfill  these  strictly  proper  needs,  the 
huge  production  of  raw  materials  is  greatly  in  excess  of  these 
requirements,  thus  releasing  for  immoral  and  illicit  use  approxi- 
mately 1,350  tons  per  annum  of  provision  or  export  opium.  If 
the  principle  stated  in  the  resolution  wa’e  concuri’ed  in  by  the 
producing  countries,  these  proper  requirements  could  be  deter- 
mined through  various  soui’ces,  such  as  individuals,  firms,  and 
corporations  duly  authorized  to  dispense  them,  who  are  required 
by  a majority  of  the  lai’ger  nations  to  keep  an  accurate  record 
of  the  quantity  so  dispensed  under  severe  penalty  for  infraction. 
The  hospitals,  sanitariums,  penal  and  other  institutions  would 
also  be  very  helpful  in  assisting  in  determining  the  amount 
actually  needed  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes. 

Even  the  opium  producers  of  Turkey,  Persia,  and  India  can 
not,  in  truth,  deny  that  the  medicinal  and  scientific  needs  of  the 
world  is  more  than  250  tons  per  annum,  therefore  there  would 
not  be  the  slightest  risk,  so  far  as  those  requirements  are 
concerned,  in  immediately  reducing  the  production  to  that 
amount. 

This  excessive  overproduction  in  India  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  administrative  oificials  of  that  country  offer  inducements  to 
the  natives  to  engage  in  the  production  of  the  opium-producing 
poppy  by  lending  them  money  without  interest,  the  condition  of 
the  loan  being 'that  the  entire  crops  shall  be  turned  over  to  the 
Government  at  a price  fixed  by  the  Government,  which  derives 
large  revenues  from  its  indiscriminate  sale  to  whomever  will  buy 
it  at  the  highest  price. 

That  portion  of  the  product  retained  for  domestic  use  is  known 
as  excise  opium,  and  that  intended  for  export  as  provision 
opium,  which  is  largely  disposed  of  in  Calcutta  at  public  auc- 
tion each  month,  without  restriction  on  its  ultimate  destination 
and  use. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  all  the  self-governing  do- 
minions of  the  British  Empire — the  Dominion  of  Canada,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand,  and  British  South  African  colonies — have 
stringent  autinarcotic  laws  similar  to  those  in  force  in  Great 
Britain,  Japan,  and  the  United  States  which  require  a physi- 
cian’s prescription  before  even  a grain  of  opium  or  its  deriva- 
tives can  be  purchased ; nevertheless,  a citizen  of  any  of  these 
self-governing  dominions,  in  fact,  a citizen  of  any  country  in  the 
world,  may  journey  to  the  Orient  and  buy  unlimited  quantities 
37307—23617 


12 


at  auction  in  t’cG  Kr'tisli  possessions  of  India  or  in  the  markets 
of  Persia  and  Tnrkoy. 

In  strong  governments,  or  wherever  self-government  exists, 
habit-forming  narcotic  drugs  are  outlawed,  except  for  strictly 
medicinal  and  scientific  purposes.  The  failnre  of  certain  Euro- 
pean nations  and  Japan  to  give  by  law  to  the  people  living 
v.'ithiu  their  possessions  the  same  protection  against  these  drugs 
that  they  give  to  their  own  citizens,  through  antinarcotic  drug 
laws,  is  largely  respolisible  for  the  present  deplorable  condi- 
tions, notwithstanding  the  fact  that  reliable  authorities  agree 
that  the  oriental  suffers  the  same  harmful  effects  as  the  occi- 
dental from  the  use  of  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs.  Professor 
Cushney,  the  eminent  pharniacoiogist  of  the  University  of  Edin- 
burgh, has  given  his  opinion  that  he  is  aware  of  no  evidence 
to  prove  that  orientals  have  a different  reaction  to  drugs  from 
occidentals,  and  that  until  such  evidence  is  brought  forward 
he  is  nut  prepared  to  accept  it. 

The  production  of  coca  leaves — from  which  cocaine  is  ex- 
tracted— in  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  the  Netherlands  possession  of 
Java,  is  likewise  vastly  in  excess  of  the  quantity  required  from 
which  an  adequate  supply  of  cocaine  for  medicinal  and  scien- 
tific purposes  could  be  obtained. 

The  overgrowth  and  resultant  overproduction  of  the  opium- 
producing  poppy  and  coca  leaves  make  possible  vast  quantities 
reaching  the  hands  of  unscrupulous  traffickers,  who,  by  reason 
of  the  smallness  of  bulk  of  these  products  and  the  large  finan- 
cial gains  obtained  from  their  illicit  handling,  easily  transport, 
with  minimum  risk  of  detection,  and  are  enabled  to  smuggle 
large  quantities  of  morphia,  codeine,  heroin,  and  cocaine  into 
the  United  States,  which  prohibits  their  importation,  and  other 
countries  where  they  are  disposed  of  to  those  who  engage  in 
the  nefarious  trade  of  selling  them  to  the  unfortunates  who 
have  become  addicted  to  their  use. 

It  should  be  of  interest  to  know  that  $-5,000  worth  of  morphia, 
codeine,  heroin,  or  cocaine  may  be  safely  concealed  in  an  ordinary 
suitcase  ; that  in  a hollow  cane  of  average  thickness  .$2,000  worth 
may  be  secreted.  It  was  stated  in  your  committee  that  on  a 
steamer  crossing  the  Pacific  some  one  happened  to  examine  a 
particular  bamboo  chair  and  found  that  its  hollow  bamboo  was 
filled  with  morphia. 

The  sundry  and  varied  manners  and  forms  in  which  traf- 
fickers ply  their  illicit  trade  would  prove  interesting  i-eading 
and  be  striking  evidence  of  the  ease  with  which  the  drugs  are 
transported  from  country  to  country.  The  vender  of  them  finds 
it  comparatively  easy  to  bring  his  goods'  into  the  United  States 
37;!07 — 23G17 


13 


through  our  extensive  seacoasts  and  immense  boundaries. 
Even  our  penitentiaries  and  jails  are  invaded  by  tlie  traffickers, 
who  find  within  their  walls  market  for  these  vicious  drugs, 
payment  for  which  is  made  by  the  prisoners  issuing  I O U’s  to 
friends  on  the  outside. 

The  testimony  conclusively  shows  that  habit-forming  narcotic 
drugs,  by  reason  of  their  extraordinary  nature,  will  overcome  all 
barriers,  even  the  bars  of  prisons,  or,  as  stated  by  Sir  John  Jordan, 
the  noted  British  authority  on  the  subject  and  member  of  the 
opium  Advisory  Commission  appointed  by  the  council  of  the 
League  of  Nations,  “ Whenever  and  wherever  opium  is  pro- 
duced, it  will  reach  the  consumer.”  This  shows  the  futility  of 
attempting  to  control  the  traffic  by  even  the  most  drastic  of 
domestic  laws,  which  is  further  confirmed  by  the  statement  of 
Mr.  Blanchard,  of  the  Narcotic  Division  of  the  Treasury  De- 
partment, who  testified  that  of  all  the  drugs  seized  last  year 
in  the  United  States  between  75  per  cent  and  85  per  cent  bore 
the  labels  of  foreign  manufacturers.  Therefore  the  purposes  of 
the  Harrison  Antinarcotics  Act,  the  Jones-Miller  Act,  and  the 
prohibition  against  the  importation  of  these  alkaloids  have 
been  substantially  defeated,  as  they  have  not  prevented  smug- 
glers and  peddlers  from  keeping  the  supply  of  these  drugs  in 
the  United  States  undiminished. 

As  to  the  number  of  addicts  in  the  United  States,  I quote 
the  following  extract  from  the  report,  dated  April  15,  1919,  of 
the  special  committee  of  investigation  of  traffic  in  narcotic 
drugs  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury : 

The  committee  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  total  number  of  addicts  in 
this  country  probably  exceeds  1,000,000  at  the  present  time.  « * » 

The  range  of  ages  of  addicts  was  reported  as  from  12  to  75  years. 
The  large  majority  of  addicts  of  all  ages  was  reported  as  using  mor- 
phine or  opium  or  its  preparations.  * » • Most  of  the  heroin  ad- 

dicts are  comparatively  young,  a portion  of  them  being  boys  and  girls 
under  the  age  of  20.  This  is  also  true  of  cocaine  addicts. 

This  report  took  into  full  consideration  and  made  allowance 
for  the  lack  of  laws  making  compulsory  registration  of  drug 
addicts,  the  secrecy  connected  with  the  unlawful  sale  and  use 
of  these  drugs,  and  the  other  difficulties  in  obtaining  informa- 
tion which  would  give  the  exact  number  of  addicts  in  the 
United  States. 

Valuable  evidence  in  this  respect  has  been  submitted  to  your 
committee  by  hospital  and  penal  institution  officials,  physicians, 
sociological  workers,  fraternal  organizations,  such  as  the  Veiled 
Prophets  of  the  Enchanted  Bealm  (the  Grotto),  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose,  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Salvation 
Army,  and  public  health  organizations,  as  vcell  as  private  indi- 
37307—23617 


u 


viduals  who  have  carefully  studied  the  habit-forming  drugs 
problem  and  who  are  well  qualified  to  express  opinions  on  the 
subject,  which  not  only  confirms  the  statement  in  the  report 
above  quoted  but  makes  it  evident  that  conditions  in  the  United 
States  resulting  from  the  increasing  and  spreading  use  of  these 
drugs  by  addicts  are  constantly  growing  worse. 

The  number  of  addicts  committed  to  our  penal  establish- 
ments and  admitted  to  sanitariums  is  rapidly  increasing.  The 
warden  of  the  Federal  prison  at  Leavenworth  reports  that 
from  July,  1914,  to  December  31,  1922,  7 per  cent  of  the  prison- 
ers committed  were  drug  addicts.  During  1921  15J  per  cent 
were  addicts.  From  July  1 to  December  31,  1922,  24  per  cent 
were  addicts.  The  warden  of  the  Federal  prison  at  Atlanta 
reports  for  the  fiscal  years  1918,  11  per  cent  addicts;  1919,  6 
per  cent  addicts ; 1920,  8 per  cent  addicts ; 1921,  15  per  cent 
addicts ; 1922,  20  per  cent  addicts. 

Dr.  Amos  O.  Squire,  chief  physician  of  Sing  Sing  Prison, 
New  York,  testified  that  since  1919,  comparing  it  with  the  year 
ending  June,  1922,  shows  an  increase  of  900  per  cent,  and  that 
90  per  cent  of  the  drugs  were  obtained  from  peddlers. 

The  foregoing  only  confirms  the  statements  of  the  witnesses 
that  much  of  the  crime  committed  is  traced  to  addicts  in  their 
frenzy  to  obtain  money  with  which  to  buy  the  drugs. 

The  depredations  wrought  upon  humanity  by  the  demoraliz- 
ing effects  of  these  drugs  have  been  fully  and  convincingly 
stated  by  witnesses  who  have  described  the  misery  and  suffer- 
ing of  those  who  have  acquired  their  immoral  use  and  who  are 
abandoning  themselves  to  increasing  indulgence  in  them. 
Young  boys  and  girls  are  being  seduced  from  good  citizenship 
by  the  lure  of  dangerous  narcotics  which  rapidly  sap  and 
ultimately  destroy  their  moral  and  physical  sensibilities  and 
instinctive  refinements.  Even  a child  born  to  an  addict  mother 
becomes  addicted  through  the  mother’s  milk. 

The  testimony  further  discloses  that  the  principal  causes  of 
addiction  are:  Unskilled  medical  treatment,  recklessness  of 
youth,  the  use  of  the  drugs  as  a relief  from  acute  and  chronic 
pain  by  persous  ignorant  of  their  habit-forming  nature,  and 
solicitation  by  peddlers. 

The  accepted  treatment  is  known  as  “ tapering-off  ” — ^^that  is, 
the  gradual  reduction  of  the  amount  used  until  the  patient  is 
able  to  abstain  from  its  use — but  this  is  a long  and  tedious 
treatment  requiring  strict  surveillance  of  the  patients  long 
after  they  have  left  the  hospital  or  sanitarium,  and,  as  stated 
by  the  representative  of  the  Salvation  Army,  the  peddler,  wlm 
3T307— 23G17 


15 


has  temporarily  lost  a customer,  usually  persuades  his  phy- 
sically weakened  victim  to  renew'  the  drug  habit. 

Complete  recoveries  are  few  and  the  phrase  “ once  an  addict 
always  an  addict  ” in  its  essence  is  literally  true. 

Addicts  are  the  victims  of  misfortune  over  which  but  few  of 
them  have  had  any  control,  as  addiction  rarely  occurs  through 
viciousness  except  in  the  cases  of  habitues  of  the  so-called 
“ underworld,”  and  perhaps  many  of  these  have  been  reduced  to 
this  social  condition  as  the  result  of  addiction.  They  are  the 
most  gratefui  of  patients,  and  frequently  commit  minor  offenses 
so  that  they  may  be  committed  to  an  institution  in  the  hope  of 
being  cured  of  their  affliction. 

Mr.  Grim,  Assistant  Attorney  General,  stated : 

‘‘  tVe  have  cases  where  these  men  call  up  and  say : ‘ I am  a drug 
addict.  I am  going  to  sell  some  opium  down  on  the  corner  of  such  and 
such  a street  at  such  and  such  an  hour,  and  it  you  will  go  there  you 
can  apprehend  me.  I want  to  go  to  jail.  I am  afraid  of  myself.’  ” 

They  are  not  admitted  to  hospitals  because  their  craving  for 
the  drug  renders  them  beyond  control.  They  are  frequently  the 
victims  of  nostrums  and  quack  sanitariums,  and  should  be  the 
objects  of  compassion  rather  than  be  termed  as  “ dope  fiends.” 

I trust  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  necessity  for  con- 
structing and  maintaining  an  institution  for  the  treatment  and 
care  of  these  unfortunate  people  is  recognized,  which  would 
result  in  many  being  cured  of  the  affliction. 

There  is  an  economic  aspect  to  this  problem  about  which  I 
hesitatingi5'  make  reference,  but,  inasmuch  as  W’e  are  living  in  a 
highly  commercial  period,  perhaps  it  is  better  to  do  so. 

According  to  the  report  of  the  special  committee  heretofore 
referi’ed  to,  satisfaction  of  addiction  to  the  drug  habit  entails  a 
useless  annual  expenditure  of  approximately  $61,000,000  for 
habit-forming  drugs,  and  the  report  further  states  that  at  least 
25  per  cent  of  the  addicts  are  not  occupied  in  gainful  occupa- 
tions w’hich  would  represent  on  a conservative  estimate  a loss  of 
$150,000,000  annually.  Continuing,  the  report  says: 

These  figures  do  not  include  the  cost  of  drug  addiction  to  individuals 
as  a result  of  loss  from  theft,  burglary,  and  other  crimes,  nor  the 
cost  to  the  States  and  municipalities  in  the  suppression  and  punish- 
ment of  crime  and  the  care  and  treatment  of  those  who  eventually 
become  a charge  upon  the  community. 

In  addition  to  these  items,  the  Federal  Government  appro- 
priated $750,000  last  year  for  the  enforcement  of  antinarcotic 
latvs,  w’hich  is  found  to  be  wholly  inadequate. 

Treaties  between  countries  have  not  availed  in  restricting 
traffic  in  these  drugs,  especially  the  treaty  resulting  from  the 
37o07— 23G17 


16 


meeting  of  the  international  opium  commission  at  Shanghai, 
China,  in  1909,  and  the  conferences  at  The  Hague  in  1911  and 
1912.  The  failure  of  this  treaty  was  made  possible  by  the 
fact  that  instead  of  placing  limitation  upon  production,  attempt 
was  made  to  regulate  the  traflic  in  habit-forming  narcotic  drugs 
by  restricting  their  transportation  and  sale.  Evasion  of  this  re- 
striction is  easily  accomplished  by  reason  of  the  fact,  as 
already  stated,  that  illicit  traffic  through  surreptitious  chan- 
nels and  sources  is  readily  and  safely  engaged  in,  the  drugs 
finding  a waiting  and  eager  market  everywhere. 

The  treaty  is  also  extremely  indefinite  and  encourages 
evasions  which  can  readily  be  seen  by  the  wording  of  article 
7,  which  is  as  follows : 

Contracting  powers  shall  prohibit  the  importation  and  exportation 
of  prepared  opium.  However,  those  nations  which  are  not  yet  ready 
to  prohibit  the  exportation  of  prepared  opium  at  once  shall  prohibit 
such  exportation  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  treaty  will,  however,  be  beneficial  in  one  respect.  Many 
of  the  contracting  powers  have  passed  antinarcotic  laws  in 
pursuance  of  the  treaty  which  will  be  very  helpful  hereafter 
in  estimating  the  quantity  of  these  drugs  actually  needed  for 
strictly  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes. 

Under  article  23  of  the  treaty  of  Versailles  the  execution 
of  the  treaty  of  The  Hague  was  delegated  to  the  League  of 
Nations,  the  council  of  which  appointed  an  opium  advisory 
committee  of  nine,  representing  certain  nations,  and  three  ad- 
visers or  assessors  who  were  appointed  by  the  council  irre- 
spective of  nationality.  These  were  Sir  John  Jordan,  M. 
Henri  Brenier,  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  Wright. 

At  the  meeting  held  in  June,  1921,  upon  motion  of  Mr.  Well- 
ington Koo,  the  Chinese  representative  on  the  opium  advisory 
committee,  a resolution  was  adopted  recommending  the  re- 
duction and  restriction  of  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  and  the 
production  of  opium  therefrom  to  strictly  medicinal  and  scien- 
tific purposes. 

The  Koo  resolution  was  ratified  by  the  council  of  the  League 
of  Nations,  which  recommended  its  adoption  by  the  assembly  of 
the  League.  The  assembly  is  composed  of  a representative  from 
each  nation  which  is  a member  of  the  League  of  Nations. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  assembly  of  the  League  held  on  October 
19,  1921,  the  assembly  recommended  that  the  words  “ strictly 
medicinal  and  scientific  ” be  stricken  out  and  the  word  “ legiti- 
mate ” be  substituted  in  lieu  thereof  on  the  statement  of  the  In- 
dian delegate,  Mr.  Sastri,  “ that  the  Indian  population  is 
throughout  vast  areas  without  adequate  medical  assistance,  and 
37307 — 23G17 


17 


therefore  habitually  takes  opium  in  small  doses  as  a prophylactic 
or  as  an  effective  remedy  against  diseases  with  which  some  of 
these  regions  are  constantly  infected.” 

The  uses  of  opium  enu7nerated  hy  Mr.  Sastri  in  his  argument 
in  favor  of  the  amendment  are  clea^-ly  medicinal,  and  therefore 
there  loas  no  necessity  for  the  amendment ; further,  anyone  of 
average  intelligence  knows  that  opium  is  not  a prophylactic  or 
preventive  of  any  disease,  especially  the  fevers  which  occur  in 
tropical  countries.  Mr.  Sastri’s  statement  that  the  “ small 
doses  ” habitually  taken  by  the  people  of  India,  according  to 
the  official  record  of  the  Indian  government,  consumed  532  tons 
of  opium  in  1919,  and  should  arouse  curiosity  as  to  how  much, 
in  his  opinion,  a large  dose  would  be.  It  is  perfectly  obvious 
that  the  striking  out  of  the  words,  “ st7'ictly  medicinal  and 
scientific  ” and  the  substitution  in  lieu  thereof  of  the  general 
word  “ legitimate  ” was  intended  to  legitimatize  and  thereby 
contmue  to  encourage  the  sale  of  large  qua^itities  of  this  drug 
without  7'estrictions  on  its  use,  which  is  “ legitimate  ” in  the 
oriental  possessions  of  many  European  countries,  and  thereby 
pi'eserve  the  large  revenues  which  the  opium-producing  coun- 
tries derive  from  its  production  and  sale. 

Mrs.  Hamilton  Wright,  of  the  United  States,  one  of  the  ad- 
visers and  assessors  of  the  opium  advisory  commission  of  the 
League  of  Nations,  suggests  the  following  in  connection  with 
the  amendment : 

If  the  eating  of  opium  is  legitimate,  it  must  follow  that  its  cultiva- 
tion is  legitimate.  If  it  is  legitimate  for  the  Indian  to  consume  opium, 
why  not  the  Chinese?  And,  to  go  a step  further,  if  it  is  a legitimate 
thing  for  the  oriental,  why  not  for  the  occidental?  * * • If  opium 
is  a good  thing,  why  are  there  any  regulations  at  all?  But  if  it  is  an 
evil  thing  real  regulation  means  suppression  or  restriction  of  cultiva- 
tion to  its  legitimate  medicinal  need. 

This  perfidious  action  of  the  assembly  of  the  league  in  legiti- 
matizing and  encouraging  for  the  sake  of  revenue  the  trafflc 
in  opium  destroys  all  hope  of  relief  from  this  international 
scourge  through  the  League  of  Nations. 

That  our  country  has  always  pursued  a program,  without 
regard  to  revenue,  designed  to  suppress  the  illicit  traffic  in 
habit-forming  narcotic  drugs,  not  only  in  continental  United 
States  but  in  other  countries  as  well  which  have  suffered  from 
the  ravages  of  these  insidious  agencies  of  human  destruction, 
is  fully  evident  in  its  sympathetic  cooperation  with  the  efforts 
of  the  Government  of  China  in  dealing  with  the  opium  problem 
in  that  country  and  in  suppressing  and  prohibiting  drug  traffic 
in  the  Philippine  Islands  immediately  upon  its  acquisition  of 
that  territory. 

S7307— 23G1T 


18 


This  conclusion  is  fully  justified  by  the  terms  of  the  treaties 
with  China  of  November  17,  1880,  and  October  18,  1903,  the 
treaty  of  May  22,  1882,  with  Korea,  and  the  treaty  of  July  29, 
1868,  with  Japan,  in  all  of  wdiich  it  was  agreed  that  citizens  of 
the  United  States  shall  not  be  permitted  to  import  opium  into 
these  countries  or  buy  or  sell  any  opium  therein.  The  strict 
enforcement  of  these  treaties  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  against  its  own  citizens  accounts,  in  part,  for  the  high 
esteem  and  respect  which  the  people  of  China  and  Korea  have 
always  held  for  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  a maxim  of  law  that  “ he  who  goes  into  equity  must 
do  so  with  clean  hands,”  and  we  should  be  proud  to  say  that 
our  Republic  enters  upon  this  extraordinary  undertaking  with 
clean  hands  in  harmony  with  its  traditional  policy. 

The  President  is  not  requested  in  this  resolution  to  make 
representations  to  China  for  reasons  which  are  perfectly  plain 
to  anyone  familiar  with  the  pathetic  struggle  of  two  centuries 
which  that  counti’y  has  made  to  protect  her  people  from  the 
ravages  of  opium.  The  principle  of  limitation  of  production 
to  medicinal  and  scientific  purposes  has  long  been  advocated 
by  China ; therefore  it  is  not  necessary  to  ask  China  to  agree  to 
a principle  which  she  has  already  approved. 

The  growth,  cultivation,  and  production  of  the  opium-produc- 
ing poppy  in  India  is  controlled  by  the  British  Government  in 
India  by  virtue  of  its  sovereignty  over  that  possession,  and  the 
Kingdom  of  Persia  and  the  Empire  of  Turkey,  in  the  exercise 
of  their  sovereignty,  can  place  restrictions  and  limitations  upon 
the  growth  and  production  of  the  poppy  within  and  exportation 
from  their  respective  countries. 

Likewise,  by  reason  of  their  sovereign  powers,  the  Republics 
of  Peru  and  Bolivia  and  the  Netherlands,  in  the  case  of  Java, 
can  restrict  and  limit  production  within  and  exportation  from 
their  respective  countries  of  cocaine  and  the  raw  product — coca 
leaves — from  which  cocaine  is  made. 

It  is  true  that  the  adoption  of  the  principle  stated  in  the  reso- 
lution, namely,  that  the  production  of  these  habit-forming  nar- 
cotic drugs  only  to  the  extent  needed  for  strictly  medicinal  and 
scientific  purposes  will  decrease  by  from  10  per  cent  to  20  per- 
cent the  revenues  of  Persia,  Turkey,  and  India,  but  surely  the 
agonizing  cries  of  the  millions  of  sufferers  from  addiction  to  these 
drugs  during  the  last  two  centuries  should  have  more  weight 
than  these  revenues,  and  the  moral  forces  of  the  world  should 
place  America’s  unselfish  plea  for  humanity  above  the  dollar, 
the  incalculable  benefits  from  which  w-ill  inure  to  all  the  peoples 
of  the  world  to  exactly  the  same  extent  that  they  would  inure 
to  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

37307— 23G17 


19 


In  summarizing,  the  hearings  conclusively  show: 

J.  That  these  habit- forming  drugs  are  indispensable  to  proper 
medication  of  the  people  of  the  world. 

2.  That  the  enormous  overproduction  is  being  used  for  vicious 
purposes  and  causing  irreparable  injury  to  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  people. 

3.  That  by  reason  of  the  extremely  limited  area  on  tuhich 
opium  can  be  produced  in  paying  quantities  it  is  entirely  prac- 
ticable to  control  production  thereof  through  the  exercise  of  the 
sovereignty  of  the  governments  of  the  people  xohich  prdouce  it. 

J).  That  the  amount  needed  for  medicinal  purposes  is  com- 
paratively easy  of  ascertaining. 

5.  That  all  laics  and  treaties  founded  on  the  principle  of 
controlling  and  restricting  the  use  of  these  drugs  to  proper 
purposes  by  controlling  the  sale  and  transportation  thereof 
have  utterly  failed,  and  in  some  instances  may  have  tended  to 
encourage  their  barter  and  sale. 

6.  That  it  is  perfectly  manifest  the  official  action  of  the 
League  of  Nations  referred  to  was  clearly  intended  to  encourage 
the  traffic  and  thereby  preserve  the  immoral  revenues  of  the 
opium-producing  countries  instead  of  suppressing  this  interna- 
tional affliction. 

7.  That  by  reason  of  their  extraordinary  nature  an  extraordi- 
nary remedy  must  be  applied,  namely,  the  limitation  of  produc- 
tion to  the  amount  needed  for  strictly  medicinal  and  scientific 
purposes. 

In  these  conditions  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to  take 
the  leadership  in  a world-wide  movement  to  eradicate  the  illicit 
international  traihe  so  that  the  use  of  these  drugs,  which  De 
Quincey  spoke  of  as  having  the  “ Keys  to  paradise  but  which 
opens  at  last  the  doors  , of  perdition,”  shall  be  strictly  confined 
to  the  humane  purposes  for  which  nature  intended  them — the 
alleviation  of  human  suffering. 

Mr.  CHALMERS.  Mr.  Chairman,  will  the  gentleman  yield 
to  me? 

Mr.  PORTER.  Certainly. 

Mr.  CHALMERS.  I just  wanted  to  say  that  I am  not  op- 
posed to  this  legislation  but  that  I am  in  favor  of  it. 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore.  The  question  is  on  the  motion 
of  the  gentleman  from  Pennsylvania  to  suspend  the  rules  and 
pass  the  joint  resolution,  including  the  preamble. 

The  question  was  taken ; and,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Chair, 
two-thirds  having  voted  in  favor  thereof,  the  rules  were  sus- 
pended and  the  joint  resolution  was  passed. 

37307—23617 


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